Slide-plate and tie-bar construction for railroads



R. M. EVANS 1,761,256

SLIDE PLATE AND TIE BAR CONSTRUCTION FOR RA-ILROADS 7 June 3, 1930.

Filed Sept. 1, 1528 3' INVENTOR R0 ERT M. EVANS 7 BY V I 1 ATTORNEY Patented June 3, 1930 UNITED STATES ROBERT M. EVANS, F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON SLIDE-PLATE AND TIE-BAR CONSTRUCTION FOR EAILROADS A Application filed September 1, 1928. Serial No. 303,553.

This invention relates to improvements in railway track construction and more particularly to an improved form of tie bar for use in combination with shouldered slide plates .5 of novel construction as a means for holding the rails of a track in proper spacing and substantially braced.

It is the principal object of this invention to make provision in the means for connecting the opposite ends of the tie bar with the slide plates that will compensate for any slight variation in the spacing of the rails or distance between the ends of the slide plates to be joined.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved form of shouldered slide plate which does away with the use of braces as usually employed.

Other objects reside in the various details of construction and in the method of assembling and joining the parts, as is hereinafter described.

In accomplishing these objects,'I have provided the improved details of construction,

the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of a short section of tracks equipped with the bars and slide plates made and assembled in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a cross section of the track showing the method of assembling the tie bar and slide plates.

Figure 3 is a top view of the tie bar and slide plates in disconnected relation.

Figure 4 is a side elevation view showing use of the tie bar with plates of an alternative form.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of a slide plate of an alternative form of construction. F igure 6 is a view illustrating 11 of the tie bar with a slide plate of ordinary form.

Referring more in detail to the drawings- 11 designate the rails of a railway track r and 2 designates the cross ties on which the rails are carried. Disposed on the ties beneath the rails are plates 3 provided across their outer end portions with upwardly directed shoulders 41 which abut against the outer edges of the base flanges of the rails to hold the latter against outward slipping, and holes 5 are cut through the shoulders and plates to receive spikes 6 for anchoring the rails and plates to the cross ties.

Overlapping the inner ends of the plates 3 are rise plates 7 which are secured'permanently thereto by means of bolts or rivets, as designated at 8. The outer ends of these plates abut against the inner edges of the base flanges of the rails in opposed relation to theshoulders 4 to hold the latter against lateralmovement and they are formed with projecting lips 9 adapted to overlap the edge of the rail flanges to prevent outward tipping of the rails. These rise plates provide supporting surfaces for the switch points 10 which are slidable thereon from and toward the rails 1 1 Extendedbetween rise plates 7 at oppositesides of the track, are tie bars 12, the ends of which underlap the ends of the rise plates, as shown in Figure 2. Provided across the ends of the tie bars are rows of apertures 13 the rows being formed on a line that is oblique to the direction of the plate and which will cross rows of holes 14 formed directly across the inner ends of the rise plates, so that when the tie bars are placed on the cross ties with their ends beneath the ends of the rise plates, spikes 15 may then be driven through those holes in the overlapped ends which happen to be in registration to thereby complete'the connection between the slide plates to prevent spreading of the rails.

It is apparent that by forming the rows of holes in the tie plate on an oblique line, any slight variation in the spacing of rails or plates is taken care of since it provides for extending the anchor spikes 15 through holesin the overlapped ends of the plates which happen to come in registration.

In Figure 4 I have illustrated an alternative form of construction of a gauge plate for use with tie bars of this character when used ahead of the switch points. In this con struction the plates 3 have shoulders across theirouter portions as in the plates previously described and have their inner end portions -3' offset upwardly to provide shoulders for engaging the inner edges of the rail base flange, and plates 20 are riveted to these upwardly offset portions to overlap the rail flanges. Thus, the shoulders and plates serve in the same capacity for anchoring the rail as does the plate 7 as shown in Figure 2.

In Figure 5, 24 designates another form of plate construction wherein the riser portion 25 is pressed upwardly from the body of the plate and is formed with a shoulder 26 for engaging the rail base flange edge and with an integral projecting lip 26 for overlapping the flange. This plate is also provided with holes 27 at its ends for receiving the anchor spikes 15 for connection with the tie bars.

In Figure 6 I have illustrated the adaptation of an adjustable tie bar of the present form for use with the now generally used slide plate with low riser and rail brace. In this type thetie bar is attached to the plate 30 as before described, but the plate extends beyond the rail and is provided with an up turned shoulder 31 at its outer end which serves as an abutment for the rail brace 32.

Assuming the parts to be so constructed, and assembled as described and illustrated, it is apparent that adjustable connections between the rails is provided for and that serves to retain the spacing of the plates and the latter support the rails against tipping so that the usually used braces are not required.

It is also apparent that by this construction, the adjustable tie bars carry the thrust of the wheel flanges from one rail to the opposite rail where the weight of the equipment helps to hold the plates and rails in position and provides that all of the spikes in all of the plates serve equally to keep the rail carrying the thrust in place.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. In a railway track, the combination with opposite rails and a'supporting tie therefor, of relatively adjustable slide plates disposed beneath the rails on said tie, means for securing the rails thereto and to the tie and a tie bar extended between the plates with its ends lapping the latter, said plates and bar each having a series of apertures in the lapped end portions thereof diflerentapertures being adapted to register for different spacings of the plates, and anchor spikes extended I through apertures that are in registration and into the tie.

2. In a railway track, the combination with opposite rails and a supporting tie therefor, of slide plates mounted on the tie and supporting the rails, means for securing the rails thereon and a tie bar extended between the slide plates with its ends lapping the latter; each of said slide plates having apertures across the inner end portion thereof and said tie bar having a series of apertures across each of its end portions, different apertures of the plates and tie bar being arranged to register at difi erentspacings of the plate, and anchor spikes extended through registering apertures of the plates and bar and 1nto the tie.

3. In combination, a supporting tie, a pair of rail supporting plates mounted thereon each having a row of apertures across its in ner end portion, and a tie bar extending between said plates with its ends lapping the inner ends of the plates and having apertures at each of its ends in rows angularly with respect to and intersecting the rows of apertures in the plate, and anchor spikes extended through registering apertures of the plates and bar into the tie.

4. In a railway track, the combination with opposite rails and a supporting tie therefor, of slide plates disposed on the tie beneath the rails having shoulders formed thereon for abutment by the outer edge of the base flange of the rail thereon, riser plates fixed on the inner ends of the slide plates for abutting against and having portions overlapping the inner edge portions of the base flanges of the rails to hold the latter against outward tipping and a tie bar extended between the slide plates with its .ends lapping the ends of the riser plates; each of said riser plates having a row of apertures across its inner end portion and said tie bar having apertures at its ends in rows angularly with respect to and intersecting the rows of apertures in the slide plates, and anchor spikes extended through registering apertures of the plates and bar into the tie to anchor the parts together.

Signed at Seattle, Vashington, this 9th day of July, 1928' ROBERT M. EVANS. 

